


RedSwan

by o0sdrawkcab0o



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:08:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22547560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/o0sdrawkcab0o/pseuds/o0sdrawkcab0o
Summary: A narcissistic, rich girl gets her perfect world turned upside down when her life is put into the hands of none other than Richard "the Dick" Grayson. God, if the assassins, exploding buildings, or rogue clones don't kill her, his cliched jokes and half-witted remarks surely will.But with Deathstroke personally coming after her, she doesn't exactly have many other options...How the hell will she survive witness protection?
Relationships: Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1: One of a Kind

**Star City**

**November 18 9:00 pm**

**Aurora’s POV.** ****

Never in a _million_ eons would I have imagined myself in this miserable situation. 

My heart thudded against my eardrums and the screams and shouts around me faded into a blaring white noise. 

My eyes finally adjusted from the previous explosions and could eventually make sense of things happening around me, but only momentarily before another light outbursted. 

“...rory. Rory! RORY!” 

I squinted away from the lights and scrambled to orient my head toward the direction of the voice.

I felt her throw her arm over my shoulders as she giggled madly “I am right here girl!” she slurred, “I am guessin’ that this is your first concert, huh?” she gave an airy burp and the smell of citrus vodka assaulted my nose.

_Absolutely repulsive._

I made it a point to turn my nose up as I took two fingers removed her from my being, “I’ve been to concerts before. This is more like a discounted circus.” I finished before looking down to people passed out drunk on the grass, and then back up to the people dancing obliviously around them. 

Well-- it was more like hopping in place, playing a slighted version of human bumper cars. I caught a glimpse of guys stabbing beer cans with knives and spilling most of the contents on the floor before letting some gush into their mouths. For bros-sake! I have never understood why men thought that was cool. _I probably never will._

The male species is truly an enigma. 

My eyes met back with Caroline, who was twerking on some 30-something year old ogre who dressed way under his age. Her eyes were rolled lazily to the back of her head as if they weren't even _trying_ to convince me that she had “only been drinking” anymore. Surely those weren't sugar pills you took during the limo ride here, sweetie. 

So this was the real Caroline Du Bois-- daughter of William Du Bois and heir to his extensive old-money fortune. No wonder he had practically begged my parents for me hang out with her. She was only 20 years old and her liver was already writing its own eulogy. 

I was snapped out of my thoughts as she vomited again for the second time this night. Just then, another beam of light from the stage flashed into my eyes momentarily blinding me before the vomit could splatter on the ground.

 _Thank God._

“Caroline.” I demanded as my eyes fluttered post-fry, “I would like to return home now.” I said flatly, tightening my crossed arms.

Honestly, I was leaving with or without her, but cordially, it was respectful to let her know. 

She paused as her inebriated mind tried to process my words, “Are you freaking serious? We just got here a half hour ago.” she whined.

“I'm surprised you can still tell time, considering you probably just threw up half your brain cells.” I coolly retorted as I brushed my hair neatly behind my back.

The first bit of common sense I had seen in her since-- well- ever flashed across her eyes. The girl suddenly sobered up as she marched two steps closer to me.

My eyebrows raised in amusement as she lifted a drunk finger to my face and her sobriety flew back out of the window.

“Fuck this.” she frowned deeply as she slurred, “All you have done for the past few days is…” she hiccuped, “is look at my with your judgy eyes and… and make me feel bad about me.” her face began to redden as her white-girl-wasted tears threatened to appear. 

_Obviously you don’t need help with that._

I usually would have said this out loud but from the tears that were about to spill out of her, she probably already knew. A smirk grew on my face as I let her continue to ramble. 

“I... Y-you you just need a lil’ fun in your life Rory,” 

“That is not my na--.” she completely ignored me, cutting me off.

“Then maybe that stick will finally fall out of your ass.”

“How eloquent.” I mocked her as a deep laugh rolled out of my chest, “Tell your last two brain cells to listen closely, okay? I am done with this _pathetic_ excuse for a concert. I texted my chauffeur. He’s on his way,” I gave another short laugh, “You can stay here with your _addicts_ if you want to. Birds of a feather and all of that, right?”

A new fire seemed to grow hotter within her with every laugh of mine that followed. 

“You know what. I am DONE pretending to be your only friend. Your psycho ass parents are gonna have to find someone else that will put up with your snooty ass.” she once again threw a finger in my face as she yelled-- this time more aggressively. The man she was dancing on from before came up and tried to separate her from me. She didn't care, she continued her speech, “And Daddy is gonna have to find someone else to pimp out to Satan if he wants to close this deal. How is _that_ for eloquence!?” 

My jaw locked and her eyes widened at the realization of what her intoxicated mouth had spilled. I saw her hastily open her mouth to speak, but I sharply turned away from her and strutted away from the concert venue without even a glance back.

She didn't even try to stop me. 

Good. 

_She knew what I was capable of._

Of _course_ I could have completely destroyed her heart and spirit with a few verbal thrashes of my own, but she honestly wasn’t even worth my time. 

_The liar._

There is no way in the nine circles of Hell that _my_ parents were the ones that begged for _her_ company. She’s even dumber than I thought if she expects me to believe that. 

I don't need friends. I’ve never particularly liked anyone. I would be doing well just to tolerate their company. People are dirty and rude and I am positive that their intellect actually diminishes with age. And _they_ know that! 

Mother and father know that! 

_So why, for the first time in nineteen years, would they suddenly push a social life onto me?_

Caroline's family was interested in buying a share of my family’s growing cosmetic sector. The worth of the cosmetic sector alone in my family’s biochemical/pharmaceutical company was estimated to skyrocket to a couple hundred million within the next year.

Once Caroline’s father finds out that she flushed all of that money down the toilet with a few off-color words, she might be lucky to just come away with just a verbal thrashing. 

I walked into the streets of Star City.

“ _Excuse_ me?” I exclaimed to no one in particular. 

It was only a fifteen minute drive from my house to the concert venue, and it had been _sixteen_ minutes since I texted my chauffeur, yet I did not see my family’s black Tesla limousine anywhere. 

I took my phone out to call my chauffeur- Randall... Robert… Uh Ramon?

I don't know. We have only had this one a few months anyway, but looks like it does matter since he didn't answer anyway. I sat down on the cement curb and called my mother next. Still no answer.

Goosebomps raised on my arms as the November windchill pierced my exposed skin. 

_Damn it, Robert Randall Ramon._

_He is so fired._

I called my father next and restlessly fiddled with the necklace around my neck until I heard the phone click, telling me that someone answered before I heard someone speak.

“Finally,” I spat through the phone, “Do you know how _long_ I have been waiting for someone to pick me up.”

“I am afraid Robert will not be coming to pick you up, my dear.” 

“And why the hell not?” I angrily threw my free hand on my hip.

The voice laughed-- a raspy, deep laugh that was _not_ my father’s. 

As I stood there in shock, I did not have time to register what had just happened before I felt someone grab me from behind by my neck. 

It had to be a man. I felt his meaty hands crush my throat and block any scream that might have tried to come from me. 

I didn’t even fight as he pulled me closer to him.

I might have been holding my breath for a few moments. I might have been holding it since the last words I spoke to Caroline. I don't know. I just know it had been a long time since my last breath. I slowly drifted out of consciousness. 

* * *

**The Bat Cave**

**November 18 6:00 pm**

**Dick’s POV**

Bruce calling for a meeting-- nothing abnormal. 

Bruce calling for a meeting with the entire extended “family”-- slightly abnormal. 

We worked together frequently on patrol but recently we have been keeping the special details reserved for our respective teams. 

I had finally come to accept my fate as a leader of “the team” and honestly working without them would feel kind of bizarre, but If I am being _completel_ y honest with myself, it would be a relief to let someone else hold the reigns for a change. 

I entered the batcave to be met with a vast emptiness.

Well--an even vaster emptiness, as I was the first one besides Babs to arrive. 

“Wow, am I fashionably early?” I slithered my arm around her as she stared up at the over-sized batcave computer screen. I had made it a point to announce my presence before touching her in fear that she would impulsively throw me over her wheelchair and slam me onto the ground. I don't think her heart can take many more jump scares and my back most definitely couldn't take many more collisions. 

“Uhhh-oh Hey.. Hi.” she whispered under her breath, still typing away at her keyboard. 

“You didn't finish the debriefing, did you?” I smirked.

“Shut up,” she still refused to make eye contact with me. I threw my head back as a laugh found its way out of my mouth. 

“What did you make a _PowerPoint_ for us this time? Throw some GIF’s in there for me, would you?”

“Dick this is serious,” she finally turned her wheelchair around to look me in the eyes. 

_Eyes_. 

_God, her green eyes were beautiful._

She began to rant, “I completely forgot about this mission. I mean, he just sprung it up on me,” she threw her hands up, “I have been researching my ass off but it's hard to find any probable cause on these people. They are just some rich, vanilla nuclear family. Besides the Langstrom thing. And who knows if they even _know_ what he is capable of. I can’t believe he wants to form a whole detail to watch these poor, rich people.” 

I simply nodded my head until she was finished. She pushed her glasses up, signalling that her rant was over and it was my turn to talk. 

“Babs, you are being way too hard on yourself. You know that if there was really anything going on with the VanHelsing’s, Oracle of all people would be the one to find out.”

She laughed at my purposeful mistake, “VanMier’s!” she corrected me. We both gave a short laugh before she sighed, relaxing back into her chair, “You're right. Oracle needs to calm down.” 

I smirked “Oh are we referring to ourselves in the third person now?” 

“Please no.” a voice begged.

I already knew who it was before even turned around to face him, “Come on Tim. All the kids are doing it. Dick wants to join too.” 

His face immediately shriveled up with disgust. Cassandra who was following him looked as expressionless as usual and Stephanie began to giggle.

“That's…” she began, but I quickly cut her off.

“A double entendre. I know.” I deadpanned, “I dream of a world where dick is just a name.” 

All of us began to laugh but it was short lived as Bruce walked into the cave--or _Batman_ rather. 

He had his cowl on, so he meant business. 

Babs immediately began to debrief. 

“Felix and Farrah VanMier-- owners of one of the wealthiest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Recently, we have found out that one of their biological sectors has been wiring money to Robert Kirkkland Langstrom. 

“Man-bat Langstrom?” Tim clarified.

“Yep. That would be the one. We haven't been able to find anything unusual past that in our surveillance of Langstrom.” Babs explained, eyeing Bruce cautiously. 

He cut in, “We aren't certain that there is any foul play going on, but we are aiming to find out tonight,” with his tone he might as well have rolled his eyes at Babs. Yikes. That would most definitely hurt her feelings. Bruce continued, “The mission is to be neither seen nor heard. I cannot stretch how important that is.”

_There's my cue._

“So no flashy disco Nightwing tonight. Got it.” 

His facial expression didn't change but I knew that Bruce was shaking his head in shame on the inside. 

I saw a slight smile flash across Babs’ lips before she stifled it down. 

_That’s it._

I smiled back at her as I winked. 

* * *

**Star City**

**November 18 7:45 pm**

**Dick’s POV cont.**

“Just to clarify.” Batman began, “Spoiler, Orphan- you two watch VanMier tower for any suspicious activity. They are having a late-night board meeting at 9:00pm. Bug the conference room before hand. Phone me when the board meeting is over. Robin, You're with me surveying the VanMier estate. And Nightwing, you are to observe Aurora VanMier.”

“Yeah. Babysitting duty.” Stephanie teased as she elbowed me in the ribs. 

“It’s not. You let us know if she is on her way home. This late board meeting and concert give us the perfect opportunity to investigate the estate.”

“You mean break and enter.” Stephanie corrected. 

“We will _not_ be breaking anything!” Bruce snapped, “I am only going to say this once-- you are not--” 

“To be seen nor heard no matter what,” Tim abruptly finished. He obviously just wanted to get tonight’s mission over with. It showed as he opened his door to the batmobile and got out before anyone else. 

I fought a laugh. 

About 15 minutes later we were each in our designated posts, and about 5 minutes after _that_ I was already bored. 

_‘This was probably going to be the_ slowest _mission I have ever been on.’_

I trust Babs completely and if she couldn't find anything sketchy going on with this family, then it might just be a night wasted with good ol’ paranoid Bruce. 

I cartwheeled across the metal beams just as a flash of light dared to ruin my covert mission. 

“That was close.” I muttered to myself before looking down at the concert below me with my night-vision binoculars.

The girl was standing so still and rigid that she was easy to spot out in the crowd of rambunctious drunken fans.

I then saw a girl next to her throw up and for the first time that night Aurora VanMier moved…. away from the girl a few inches. 

“Wow she’s feeling the mode.”

 _‘God dammit, Bart. I swore to myself I would stop saying that.’_ I shook my head at myself. Hanging around that little, loud speedster must be more influential than I thought. 

I sighed before I held a finger firmly against my earpiece, “Hey! Oracle.” I exclaimed into my earpiece. 

“How’s babysitting duty.” she replied.

“Turns out. She’s not such a baby. I think her friend just snorted something.” 

“Oh god. I am so glad we were never real teenagers.” 

“I don’t think she is either. She is kind of… off. She most definitely isn't in her element at this concert. She looks very Scowly-- very Batman.”

“Nightwing. Oracle. Your communications are still wide-open.” Bruce said flatly into the line. 

“Oh shit!” Babs said after quickly narrowing the communications to between just her and I. 

I couldn't help but laugh, “Thank God we didn't have phone sex like we usually do,” I joked.

“Oh shut up.” I could practically hear her roll her eyes, which made my smile even wider. 

What can I say? Feisty Redheads!

_And need I say more?_

Suddenly the girl moved to walk out of the concert venue.

“Babs we’ll finish this later. The girl is moving.” 

“Have fun.”

“Yeah I’ll try.” I sarcastically retorted before I tossed myself to the outside of the venue, using the beams like stepping stones. 

I found my objective sitting outside on the curb-- without her friend, I noticed. 

It was almost winter time in Star City so it was about as black as midnight at around 9pm here. I couldn't really make out her appearances from where I was standing. 

I crept a little closer to a nearby alley and squinted my eyes trying to verify that it really was Aurora VanMier. 

It was.

What the hell is this girl doing? She is barely dressed in any clothes in November, sitting alone on a dark street corner in the sex/drug trafficking capital of the country, next to a Colosseum filled to the brim with drunk, messy people, yet she seemed relaxed without a care in her rich world!

This was so obviously one of her first excursions into the city without her personal servant or something. 

What was that saying again? 

‘Ignorance is bliss, but it’s consequence is disastrous’. 

“Nightwing!” the tone in Batman’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts, “Go to Spoiler and Orphans location! Something isn't right. Their communication has been cut off.” he informed me. 

“Got it.” I replied, but just as I turned around to head to the VanMier Tower I was met with a heavy blow to the face.

My cheek throbbed heavily as I swiftly flipped myself back up into a standing position. 

_A shadow_ \-- one of Ra’s al Ghul’s assassins. 

The assassin wasted no time in pulling out his sword and lunging forward to strike me with it. 

I easily evaded the swipe of his blade and drew out one of my escrima sticks and struck him on the back of his head knocking him out cold. 

I narrowly dodged another assassins sword from behind.

“Batman!” I phoned into my earpiece, “the League of Shadows is here. I am held up at my post.” I grabbed the rails of a nearby fire escape to rocket my legs into the assassins face, knocking them out cold. 

“They are at the estate too. Damn it! Oracle can you find Spoiler and Orphans locations?” I could hear the grunts of the assassins trying to attack him through his earpiece. 

“It says they are still in the building. But if the communications are down it could just be giving me the last location before it became offline.” 

“Crap.” I muttered as I put down another two assassins.

Wait. _The girl!_

It had been less than thirty seconds since I had last had eyes on her but I still fear the worst as I ran back to her location. 


	2. Save a Lady Properly

**Star City**

**November 18 9:45 pm**

**Dick’s POV cont.**

I saw a brawny assassin come up behind my babysitting duty and grab her by the throat. 

“Crap, crap, crap.” I exclaimed to one in particular as I hurried to the girl. 

_ ‘I had **one** job!’ _

She gave a slight yelp before instantly going completely limp and fainting in the behemoths grasp. I fought the urge to facepalm at her theatrics as I ran up behind the brute and roundhouse kicked him in the head. 

His head hardly even budged as a hot pain shot up my leg. 

“ _ Holy _ Boulder, Batman!” I cried out as I tried to shake the throbbing out of my leg. Okay. That joke is outplayed I know, but I would have to wait until later to find another witty remark because the man with a boulder for a head came storming right towards me. 

With the girl slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, he swung his other giant arm towards me.

I’ll be damned if I get back-handed by  _ that _ train. 

I flipped backwards and avoided his assault just in time. 

“Wow, You're pretty swift for a Big guy huh?”

He growled in frustration, “I’m a woman, you idiot.” h... Or uh- _ she _ spat while throwing another repetitive fist toward me. 

“W-wow,” was all I could muster in my distracted state before the fist connected with the side of my face.

I hit a nearby brick wall with an ‘oof’. 

“Nightwing,” I vaguely heard in my earpiece, “I sent Robin to rendezvous with Spoiler and Orphan. The mansion’s assassins are almost cleared out with Batman. How’s your situation? You holding up okay?” 

“Babs, I got this.” I slurred as I tried to clear out the double vision and ringing in my ear, “Crap.” I mouthed as I saw two giant, macho women storm towards me and blend back into one.

“Nightwing? Crap? Why ‘crap’?!”

“A biggin,” was all I said before the woman tried to smack me again with her repetitive backhand. Becoming used to her move, I easily dodged her advancement (even with a probable concussion.) 

“Not so Swift after all Huh, Taylor?” I teased as I ran back into the alley I was in just previously, “Oops. Excuse me Sirs,” I joked as I hopped over the unconscious bodies of the assassins I had previously defeated, “Huh. I guess I shouldn’t assume your genders. Apparently I'm not good at guessing.”

“GET BACK HERE YOU PUSSY. We weren’t finished yet!” I heard the beefy woman yell from not too far behind me.

“Speaking of.” I whispered to myself before swiftly turning around to face her, “Oh sorry. Where were we?” 

She simply lifted her ginormous arm once more as a response. 

While she wound up her impending strike I swiftly grabbed the girl from the back of her mesh shirt and yanked her away just as the large woman slammed her fist against the power-box of the apartment next to us. 

She hit it so hard that her fist broke through the metal enclosure, and sent an electric shock into her hand and throughout her entire body. She convulsed for only a moment before her body fell to the ground. She groaned in pain before I took one of my escrima sticks and knocked her in the back of the head. 

“I guess we both shocked each other tonight.” 

Immediately after the words came out of my mouth I cringed. That was bad-  _ even for me _ . I looked down toward the girl in my arms. Her hair was covering her face, but I could feel from the relaxation of her muscles that she was still out cold.

I gave an inward sigh of relief. No witnesses.

“Wow. that was bad-  _ even for you _ .” I heard a Babs in my ear.

“You know I was really hoping no one heard that.” I grimaced. 

“I wished I hadn't heard it either.” I could tell by the sound of her voice that she was smiling. 

“Then let’s just pretend you didn’t” I grimaced x2. 

Babs’ mocking laughter was interrupted by the girl in my arms, “Hmmmmmmm…” she moaned as she shifted around momentarily. 

She moved her nest of hair away from her face and honestly what I saw surprised me.

Her face was... perfect. 

Not in an “Oh your imperfections make you perfect” kind of way, but in an eerie, airbrushed sort of way. There wasn't a freckle, blemish, nor pore on her perfectly painted skin. Her face was completely symmetrical, and every feature screamed at me that this was unnatural.

I immediately thought of the creepy mannequins on display at Macy’s. 

She fluttered her eyes up at me, trying to focus.

We just stared at each other for a second. 

“Uhh-” for the first time that I could remember I, Dick ‘the wit’ Grayson, was left unsettled and speechless. 

She blinked once more before the gloss over her eyes faded and reality sunk in.

She let out a shrill screech that could put Black Canary to shame as she began wildly thrashing her body in my arms. 

“Woah woah woah. I'm a friend. Don’t worry. You’re safe now!”

She still threw herself out of my arms and fell to the ground with a ‘thud.’

“Oh yeah?” she exclaimed as she swiftly swung her legs back over her head and flipped herself up and onto her feet. I blinked in surprise. I think I saw that move on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ once. 

“Safe?! Like them?” she pointed to the half dozen passed out would-be assassins in the alleyway.

“They aren't dead-- just sleeping.” my voice pitched up and I scratched the back of my head. Her icy blue eyes dared to freeze me. I threw my hands up defensively, “Aurora, I know this is all scary to you but believe me when I say there are scarier people out there than me. And some of them wanted you tonight,” I tried to reason with her as she rolled her eyes and brushed her hair behind her back, seemingly uninterested in what I had to say. 

I sighed before walking closer to her, “Look. I just want to protect you-- get you somewhere safe, but I can't do that unless you trust me,” I softly grabbed her shoulders and stared intensely into her eyes, “So do you trust me?” I finished, throwing in the trademark ‘Grayson Charm.’

As she shriveled up her face and flicked my hands away from her, my pride died a little, “A little tip on flattery for you,” she stepped away from me again and crossed her arms, “Your misogynistic hero complex might work on bimbos, but a girl with at least half a brain cell would never be swayed by your cheap, pathos.” she turned her shriveled nose up away from me, “Try some logistics next time.  _ Not _ with me.” she corrected before continuing to roast me, “and trust you? Why on  _ Earth _ would I trust a man that can take down a dozen men… but only when hiding behind a mask? Sketchy much?” she spat.

I opened my mouth to counter but once again I was left speechless. I just gave a short laugh as I scratched the back of my head, “Okay fair enou--” I began but she cut me off as she held up a hand as if to say ‘shut the fuckity fuck up’.

She promptly turned around, whipping me in the face with her thick black hair.

As she walked away she began mumbling to herself, “He had SOME nerve putting his nasty hands on  _ me _ . Now where the hell is Randall Robert Ramon? I swear to any omnipotence that I will never  _ ever _ forgive mother and father for this one. I’ll kill Caroline first and then... ” her continued rant began to fade as she walked away. 

I froze in my spot until I couldn't hear her anymore, as my brain to catch up with everything.

“She is one... strange girl.” I muttered under my breath

“Why? because she didn't fall for the Garyson charm?” Babs chimed in through my earpiece.

“No!” I argued as blood rushed to my cheeks. She heard everything?  _ Not _ crash, “Anyways how is the situation with Batman?” I tried to focus back in on the mission and away from my pride dying. 

“Spoiler and Orphan are still nowhere to be seen. Batman and Robin are at the VanMier Tower. It looks like the Shadows have taken Mr. and Mrs. VanMier, but everyone else is okay. Banged up but still alive.” 

“Crap. Okay, send me the coordinates for VanMier tower.”

“What about the girl? I mean, she obviously doesn't want anything to do with you, but you're not gonna just leave her are you?”

How stupid did Babs think I was, “No I'm not gonna leave her to get kidnapped again. I'm gonna go to her and and-”

“ _ Kidnap _ her.” she slyly slid in. 

“ _ Persuade _ her... logistically,” I corrected, “Her words-- not mine.” 

**Star City**

**November 18 10:10 pm**

**Aurora’s POV.**

“He had SOME nerve putting his nasty hands on  _ me _ .” A chill rushed through my body as my shirt pathetically tried to keep out the cold. I crossed my arms, displeased, “Now where the hell is Randall Robert Ramon? I swear to  _ any _ omnipotence that I will never  _ ever _ forgive mother and father for this one.”

Did they seriously think that any good would come out of me hanging out with the heathens of my generation? Especially Caroline Dubois!

Well. Look where it got me! Accosted, cold and pissed off to hell and back! 

“I’ll kill Caroline first and then the blue bird boy who can’t keep his hands to himself.” I felt the blood rush to my face. When I woke up I smelled cheap cologne and felt an unwanted hand on my boob. 

_ ‘What is this? A fraternity event!? _ ’ I screamed in my head. 

“Idiot!” the heat on my face became unbearable as I crossed my arms across my chest even tighter, “For someone so high, mighty and chivalrous, he couldn't even save a lady properly.”

I sighed as I looked up to the bright buildings of Star City. 

_ ‘What the hell **was** all of that anyway?’ _

The hefty hands around my neck could have easily cracked my cervical vertebrae and severed my spinal cord. 

But they didn't.

So they wanted me alive. For... what? Ransom? It wouldn't be the first time someone has tried that, but that's what ransom insurance is for. 

I turned the street corner and saw my parents tower, _ ‘They should still be in their meeting.’  _

Wait.  _ My parents. _

An obscure thought passed through my mind,  _ ‘That voice on the phone... I know it from somewhere..’ _

“Aurora!” a voice called from behind me.

I shook that thought away and buried it before rolling my eyes at the annoying thing, “Not this troglodyte again,” I shook my head as I groaned to myself, “ _ What _ do you  _ want _ !” I didn't find it weird that he knew my name. My face is pretty much as recognizable as an elephant in a haystack in this town. 

“You’re not safe. We need to head to VanMier Tower and regroup with my colleagues,” I saw his arm extend to grasp my shoulder again, but as I sent a glare at him I noticed it slowly retracted before he actually made contact.

_ ‘Good Dog.’ _

“Look,” he continued, “I know this is going to be hard to hear but your parents have been abducted. My friends and I just want to get you somewhere safe. 

I didn't even blink as I swept my hair behind my back, “You’re  _ sure _ they have been taken? We have a safe room in the tower, you know. I am sure they are there.” I waved a dismissive hand as I rolled my eyes. 

_ ‘If I had a dollar for every time my parents received a nonsense death threat, I be rich...er. _ ’

“Safe room? Where is the safe room?” the man's eyebrows rose under his mask. 

“In the lab attached to the 52nd level science conference room. Behind the ventilation hood.” I raised an eyebrow. 

“Oracle. There is a safe room attached to the conference room!” He spoke as he pressed a finger to his ear. 

_ ‘So he really does have colleagues surveillancing me.’ _

And he didn't specify which conference room... 

The conference room on level 52 was the conference room my parents were using tonight, meaning that I wasn't the only one being monitored tonight.

Funny. 

Mother and father detest masked men playing heroes so I know that they were not hired by them. Which means that they were hired  _ against _ them. I narrowed my eyes at the man in front of me. 

“You need a code to get in. It's got more safety precautions than Air Force One.” I said flatly. 

I couldn't see his eyes or eyebrows but I could still tell that was giving me an expectant look. 

I gave a short laugh, “Oh, wouldn't you like to know. Look, I'll tell you the code, if you tell me why you were stalking my family tonight.”

He retracted his head in surprise, “Aurora this is serious.”

“Oh, you have no idea how serious I can be.” 

“Okay. Fine,” He only paused for a beat but I still knew that whatever was about to come out of his mouth would be a lie, “We were just Patrolling Star City for our friend Green Arrow when we caught wind of an organization of assassins.” 

I didn't even entertain his lie as I silently glared at him.

Suddenly a massive boom sounded through the sky. I frantically searched around for the source of the roar. When I finally zeroed in on the cause, my heart dropped. A lot had happened within the past few hours, but for the first time that night I genuinely felt terrified. 

I stared up in horror at the bright orange light in the sky-- the family tower was being engulfed in a billowy blaze. 

A large chunk from the top of the building slid off and collided roughly with the ground beneath, sending a wave of debris and foul dust hurling towards us. 

The masked man wasted no time at all in grabbing me by the waist and ushering me into a nearby apartment building. I didn't fight him at all as I refused to peel my gaze away from the collapsing building. 

“BATMAN! ROBIN!” I vaguely heard the man yelled into his earpiece, “You’re away form the building? What do you mean? He got into the safe room!?”

“Mother… Father…?” my heart began pounding. 

This was beyond any attempted kidnapping or empty threat that I had ever seen.

This... this was _new_. 

“Copy that, Oracle. I'm on my way.” I noticed him give me a reluctant look as he slipped his arm from around my waist, “Stay right here.”

I didn't agree. I didn't disagree. I just sat mesmerized by what I just witnessed. 


End file.
